


Friends of the Frost

by glassarrow



Category: Frozen (2013), Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Gen, Panic Attacks, Platonic Female/Male Relationships, Platonic Relationships, remember when this fic was fluffy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-04
Updated: 2016-07-19
Packaged: 2018-05-04 20:50:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,353
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5348078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glassarrow/pseuds/glassarrow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Weaving through RotG and Frozen, Elsa and Jack Frost find out exactly how much they have in common, and there are a lot of feelings. I don't even know, man. I just really love platonic Jelsa and I figured posting this would motivate me to write the next hundred or so pages I plan. Work titles are hard and such, but I plan on updating as soon as I can.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Spring Freeze

“Be careful!”  
  
   
Jackson Overland turned back to his mother, but his little sister dragged impatiently on his arm, and he could only get out a laugh before being dragged away into the little dirt road. They walked quickly through the village picking up kids as they went along, parents calling out goodbyes as their children ran outside. Soon, the gangly teenager had a veritable army of children following him as they traipsed down the dirt road and into the hills behind the village. No one noticed as a nervous little girl slipped into the back of the group, a pair of ice skates bouncing against her shoulder as she jogged to keep up.  
  
   
The kids in the front chattered excitedly as the group fanned out along the edge of a small pond, frozen by the icy wind whipping under their jackets. Jackson turned around, spreading his arms dramatically.  
  
   
“Ladies and Gentlemen!” He announced, trying to keep a straight face. “Today we bring you the preliminary round of the annual Arendelle hockey tournament.” With that, the children broke into a cheer, pushing forward onto the ice with sticks in hand. Jack hopped over to a hollow log, reaching in to pull out two goals, just sticks with a net strung between them. Stepping lightly onto the ice, he slid each post into precut holes on either side of the pond. Glancing up, he noticed one little girl in blue watching silently from the side as the other kids slid excitedly back and forth, testing out their new skates.  
  
   
“Hey there!” He called out, smiling his friendliest smile. “I haven’t seen you around. What’s your name?” Elsa looked up nervously, her bright blue eyes catching his.  
  
   
“Umm… El- Elenna” She answered, her voice catching on the word.  
  
   
“Nice to meet you, Elenna.” Jack reached out one hand, tilting his head to the side with a crooked grin. “Do you have a stick?”  
  
   
“No…” She murmured, looking down at her feet.  
  
   
“Well I guess we’ll have to find one then.” He laughed, grabbing her hand and leading her into the woods. “See any good ones?”  
  
   
She spun in a circle, eyes darting around the trees before finally landing on a bent branch sticking out from a tree high above.  
  
   
“Maybe that one?” She asked, pointing up. “But it’s too high.”  
  
   
“That’s okay.” Jack answered, bouncing over to the tree and wrapping his hand around one of the lower branches. “I can get it.”  
  
   
“Jack? Jaaack?” His sister’s voice echoed around the clearing behind them.  
  
   
“Over here!” He called back as he swung his long legs over the branch. She burst into the clearing, a little boy close behind.  
  
   
“Jack, you have to be the judge!” She demanded, looking around confused before glancing up and laughing as Jack swung back and forth from the branch above them.  
  
   
“I know” He grinned back. “But Elenna needs a stick.” The brunette looked over at Elsa who waved shyly back.  
“Hi,” she smiled brightly for a moment, before turning back to her brother “Well hurry up! We won’t have enough time if we don’t get started soon!” Jack swung up on top of the branch reaching up to grab a thick straight one just above him. She watched him impatiently for a moment before crossing her arms with a deep sigh.  
  
   
“Jack, get down from there!”  
  
   
“Just a minute” He laughed. He pulled himself on top of the branch, glancing below him for just a moment before gasping loudly. “Oh no I’m falling!” He swung back and forth, hands spread wide with a face full of mock surprise as the children below giggled.  
  
   
“Come on, Jack!” His sister laughed impatiently. “Be serious!” He shook his head, a crooked grin plastered from ear to ear.  
  
   
“Fine. Fine.” He chuckled, reaching over to the side to grab the branch Elsa had pointed out and snapping it at the base. Tossing it lightly to the girl below, he swung down, landing softly on the forest floor. With one hand, he grabbed Elsa’s shoulder, leading her gently back to the pond while looking over at his sister and making a funny face. She giggled and shook her head, skipping along behind as they made their way back to the other kids.  
  
   
When they got back to the pond, the other kids had mostly sorted themselves into teams. A girl called out to Jack’s sister, and she slipped on her skates before sliding over to join one team as the little boy that followed her slid over to the other.  
  
   
“All right, guys!” Jack called out. “We have a new player today! Who wants to take Elenna?” There was a moment of serious discussion among the kids.  
  
   
“We’ll take her!” A boy called from one side of the pond.  
  
   
“Alright, Adrian!” Jack called back before leaning down to help Elsa with her skates. “You ready?” He asked, a hint of mischief in his eyes.  
  
   
“I think so.” Elsa answered, standing up carefully.  
  
   
“Okay, then let’s go.” Jack stood, pulling her onto the lake with a breathless laugh. She giggled in spite of herself, sliding slowly to a halt just in front of her new team.  
  
   
“You know the rules, right?” Adrian asked.  
  
   
“Uhh… No.” Elsa answered, her smile fading.  
  
   
“That’s okay.” He winked. “There’s barely any anyway. Just use the stick to get that ball in the goal over there and don’t hit anyone in the face.” Elsa nodded, her blonde hair falling loose over her shoulders.  
  
   
“Everyone ready?” Jack yelled from the side. A loud cheer erupted from both sides, as the kids slid into their starting positions, everyone’s eyes glued to the ball in Jack’s hands.  
  
   
“Ready… Set… Go!!” Jack hurled the ball up as kids raced forward, colliding in some places, rushing to get the ball as soon as it hit the ice. Two kids slammed their sticks into it at once, launching it skyward until it bounced across the ice stopping just a few feet in front of Elsa. Frowning in concentration, she slid forward, slamming the ball with her stick so it bounced through the crush of legs and sticks in front of her, stopping midway between Adrian and the goal. He took off after it, obviously more used to the rough, bumpy ice than she was, weaving between other kids as his stick slapped into the ball. Hitting it carefully, he bounced it over to another girl on their team, a tall redhead who caught it and slapped it towards the goal, sliding to a halt to watch it bounce around the goalie and into the net. Cheers and groans rang out around the pond as Jack declared it the game’s first goal. Elsa grinned with excitement, leaning forward to get ready as Jack pulled back his arm to throw again, not noticing the slight glow as the ice beneath her feet thickened and smoothed out.  
  
   
“Ready… And… Go!!” The ball flew into the air again, and this time Elsa took off with the rest of her team, racing towards the goal on the other side, trusting her teammates to get the ball over there. Sure enough, a boy in a warm cloak slammed the ball over, bouncing over the rough ice covering the pond until it slid smoothly forward on the trail Elsa was accidentally leaving behind. Frowning in concentration, Elsa leaned forward, forcing her stick forward despite the nerves shaking her hands. Sliding faster and faster as the ice rushed in front of her, eager to smooth her path to the goal, Elsa stared intently forward, gaze focused on the small ball bouncing across the ice in front of her. Stretching out the stick just a bit further, she hooked the ball, sliding to a stop and turning to face the goal. Glancing around quickly, Elsa noted the three kids between her and her target before hunching forward and slamming her stick down. The ball flew forward, ricocheting and flying sideways off towards the woods.  
  
   
Her face fell. Bright, blue eyes widened in horror as lacy spider webs of frost spiraled slowly out from beneath Elsa’s perfectly balanced skates. One thin blade bumped forward cautiously, dragging against the rough surface as bodies crashed and collapsed in the rush to catch the ball. Her shoulder slammed forward; a thin, overeager arm pushed past as her knee slammed heavily against the ice below with a loud thud. A thin trail of red flowed slowly, nervously through a small canyon carved by one curve of her own blade. Eyes unfocusing, Elsa watched through a haze as one of the kids, scooped up the ball, the curve of his stick gently grabbing the ball and hurling it across the uneven ice towards the other side.  
  
   
Jackson Overland watched her fall, jumping up in concern when he saw the blood dripping slowly from her fresh scrape. As the other children raced and bumped towards the goal on the other side, Elsa sat up slowly, blue eyes raking over the wound with worry, but no tears. After all, Anna had gotten her into worse scrapes than this. Whipping a small bag off his shoulders, Jackson knelt beside her and carefully wrapped a thin bandage over the scratch, sealing off any further drips.  
  
   
“Whoops. Sorry about that,” he grinned up at her. “It can get rough out here sometimes. You okay?” Elsa nodded as he helped her to her feet, new determination glinting in her eyes as she watched the horde of children skirt the outside of the pond back toward her opponent’s goal.  
  
   
“Alright then. Need a rest or ready to get back in?”  
  
   
“I’m fine” She clenched her fingers tightly around the stick, itching to get back into the fray. Jackson grinned and patted her on the back before deftly weaving his way through the other kids back to the sidelines. Gritting her teeth, Elsa gripped her stick tightly and pushed forward towards the puck, a good 20 feet in front of her now. This time, she wouldn’t miss.


	2. Warm Hugs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not a very long chapter this time, but I wanted to get it out for Christmas. This chapter dedicated to my wonderful friend Vinnie. Don't worry, I'll get Kristoff in the mix eventually.

Elsa felt the shock of a hand against her shoulder as her teammates all slammed into her for a victory lap of the small pond. In the few months she’d been playing with them, she’d improved her aim considerably, and she was always a force to be reckoned with. No matter which way they turned, her team always seemed to find the smoothest courses while the other team was cursed with bumpy, rough ice stopping them on the way to the goal. Jackson Overland made his way over the ice, moving swiftly and easily even though he was the only one without skates before arriving right behind Elsa and proudly placing the winner’s circlet of mistletoe on her head.  
  
“Congratulations, your highness,” he proclaimed dramatically, sinking to one knee. “You are officially Arendelle’s newest ice queen.” Elsa blushed furiously and pushed the mistletoe crown up from where it had dipped over her bangs. Turning around, she saw the kids all bowing their heads in mock solemnity, though some were less adept at stifling their giggles than others. Sure, she had made the winning goal, but she never would have made it as far without Adrian and Julia backing her up. The twins were ferocious on the ice, but they’d share their snacks with anyone who asked. Their mother, the baker was determined to ensure no one could ever call her kids gangly.  
  
Giggling slightly herself, Elsa curtseyed solemnly and bade them all to stand up. Once they did though, there was nothing stopping them from quickly picking her up and throwing her on their shoulders for the traditional march back to town and cookies at the twin’s shop to celebrate the end of winter. The ice was just growing too thin for skating anymore, and no parents would let their children out on the pond until it froze again next winter, even though this year’s ice had stuck around much longer than in years past. Laughing, Elsa allowed herself to be carried off down the hill, everyone’s excited chattering drowning out any fears she might have until the sight of the palace’s spires came back in to view, sending a shock of cold through her veins. The smile slowly slid from her face as she realized that while the children might not know who she was, their parents certainly would have seen her at Anna’s christening. Swallowing a wash of nerves, she tipped her head back.  
  
“Hey, Jack? I have to use the bathroom,” Luckily the flush of blood in her cheeks hid the nervousness of her eyes, and Jackson was quick to respond, laughing and nudging kids out of the way to help her down.  
  
“Alright, there are plenty of outhouses just outside of town. Want us to wait for you?” She shook her head seriously.  
  
“No, that’s alright. I should go home anyway,” She stammered. “My mom worries a lot.” Jackson crouched down to look her in the eyes, and she glanced away quickly, guilt clouding her mind.  
  
“Okay. Well, we hope to see you around then. All of us go swimming in the summer.” Tilting his head to one side, Jackson pushed up from his knees and wiped the dirty snow from the front of his pants with one hand. Elsa sighed slightly in relief and nodded, knowing if she came, she’d probably just freeze the pond again. The crowd of kids surged forward, parting around the two of them as they headed on towards the village. His sister grabbed his hand as she was swept by.  
  
“Jack! Come on, we’ll miss all the good cookies!” Jackson laughed and turned to follow, waving over his shoulder at Elsa as he fell back in with the kids.  
  
“See you later, Elenna!” He shouted before grabbing his sister and swinging her up onto his shoulders to her surprise. She shrieked and giggled as Elsa smiled and waved, turning from the path and making off into the woods towards the palace. There was only one path into and out of the palace, but this time of year the small gap in one of the defensive walls of the fjord was just cold enough to freeze over, so she carefully skirted the water, ducking into the trees whenever a ship drew to close before gingerly ducking out onto the water, running her hands carefully along the stone until she reached the gap. Peering out from behind the wall, she skimmed the water for nearby ships, but no one was on this side of the castle right now, a lucky break for her.  
  
With a deep breath, she darted out from behind the wall, her skates bouncing heavily against her back as she ran. Slipping back into the comforting shadow of the wall, she listened carefully for any shouts of alarm, but as usual, the guards on the walls didn’t notice the small figure dart past beneath them. She smiled and slide her skates further up her back before creeping over to the small grate in the wall. Discovering the opening had been her first step towards these outings. The bars were too tightly woven together for anyone but a child to slip through, but they suited her purposes just fine, so gripping the bars tightly in one hand she swung her body through the gap and slipped into the darkness within.  
  
From further down the tunnel, she could smell the warm scent of melting chocolate as the cooks above got ready for the festival of Ostara. Even at 3 years old, Anna was already the reigning champion egg hunter in Arendelle, but Elsa was determined to give her a run for her money this year. Kneeling down, Elsa pulled a rock from the wall and grabbed at the lantern and matches inside. With a small puff of smoke, the matches flared to life, and the small tunnel materialized in front of her. Her footsteps echoed softly against the curved, stone walls as she tiptoed into the castle.  
  
After a quick left and a right, she arrived at the base of a slightly rusting ladder and dropped to her knees again to slide her lantern into a small crevice. The world faded quickly to black as she blew out the flame and reached blindly for the ladder. Elsa felt the small points of rust digging into her hands as she climbed, careful not to let the red stain her white leggings. She'd made that mistake before. Her mother had spent days trying to get the stain out herself before one of the maids found a solution from one of the ladies in town.  
  
Finally after what seemed like forever, Elsa reached out her left hand and felt for the small metal ring above her. She heard a click. With one mighty heave, the small girl pushed open the trapdoor, shimmied through, and gently dropped it back into place before glancing around quickly to be sure she hadn't been spotted. As per usual, the staff were too busy in the room next door to notice the girl who had suddenly materialized out of thin air, though one kitchen boy did give her a funny look as he passed the open door. Satisfied she had not been discovered, Elsa dusted her hands off on the edges of the red rug on the floor and set off to find Anna, no doubt already busy terrorizing the cooks.  
  
“Elsa! Elsa!” The precocious redhead bubbled, bouncing around the corner right on queue, hands sticky with the same chocolate smeared all over her face. “This is going to be the best Eostre ever. The chef's gonna hide a giant egg somewhere with legs and a funny face too!” Elsa giggled, reaching over to smear some of the chocolate off of her sister's forehead.  
  
“Well, then that one is sure to bring the finder good luck then, right?” Anna's eyes glittered with excitement as she proudly stuck her thumb in her mouth to suck off more of her ill-gotten sweets.  
  
“Yup!” She answered confidently. “And I'm gonna find it!” Elsa shook her head, a mischievous twinkle catching in her brilliant blue eyes.  
  
“Not if I beat you to it.” Anna only grinned wider before grabbing Elsa in one of her patented warm hugs. Despite Elsa's sounds of protest at the chocolate stains, she couldn't help but hug back before the angry hubbub in the kitchen warned the pair that Anna's theft had been discovered.  
  
“Come on!” Elsa whispered hurriedly. “I know some great spots to hide.”


	3. Snow Scent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Even though it's sunny, can you smell the storm coming? (Again for Vinnie because he turns old today and encourages me to get my shit together)

Spinning the small figurine slowly in her hands, Elsa was brought slowly back to the present by the hustle and bustle as the castle prepared for one of the most important festivity in Arendelle right now: her 8th birthday. To be honest, the young queen-to-be was not particularly interested in the whole grand show of things. Such large crowds made her nervous.  
  
Oh well, She mused. At least it's a good cover. Dropping her spoils from last Spring's egg hunt, she glanced one more time around the room and slung her skates over her back before creeping quickly towards the hidden trapdoor that would take her outside to her freedom. As Anna got older and ever more daring, she was starting to feel guilty for keeping this escape all to herself, but some things were just ruined if shared with too many people. The door was a little easier to lift now, practice and another year making her limbs stronger, but her arm still shook a bit as she worked to prevent the heavy wood from crashing down above her.  
  
Unhooking her elbow from the top rung of the ladder, Elsa let the old door settle quietly above her before carefully stepping down and grabbing for the lantern hidden below. Quickly striking the match, Elsa stepped forward without waiting for her eyes to adjust, eager to get to the game. A few kids from neighboring villages were in town this week, likely due to her own party, so it was sure to be a lively game. At first, she didn't even notice the creeping frost spreading beneath her feet, but when her eyes adjusted to the dark surrounding her, she keenly felt the void to her right where the wall should be.  
  
Elsa threw out her arm to grab onto the ladder. Then, slowly, blinking in disbelief, she peered down at the faintly glowing snowflake pattern surrounding each of her shoes as she stood on what should have been freely flowing water from the kitchen's pumps. Letting go of the ladder, Elsa knelt on the ice, hands wandering carefully over the intricate patterns beneath.  
  
Did I do this? She thought to herself, mind numb with excitement and wonder. She lifted the lantern higher to see the patterns better, and caught the glimmer of her skates' blades reflecting on the wall. The bright patterns broke her fixation, and she stifled a laugh as she pushed herself back up to her feet.  
  
I guess I must have. It's certainly not cold enough in here to freeze just yet. Shaking her head to clear the last of the fuzziness, Elsa made her way back to the relative safety of the cobblestones by the wall and made her way up to the sunlight above. If she was being honest with herself, her powers were starting to worry her. They seemed to be progressing faster every day, and neither she nor her parents knew anything about where they came from, so there wasn't much help to be found for controlling them. All thoughts of her powers and the strange ice in the tunnel melted away as she carefully dove between the bars into the sun and listened carefully for the sounds of guards above.  
  
“- cake's going to be chocolate of course.” Elsa sighed in frustration. Of course someone had to be here today and talking about the one event she wanted nothing more than to forget about for a while. Ducking back into the shadows of the grate, Elsa leaned back and waited for the guards to move on.  
  
“Princess Anna must be happy too. Myrtle's having a hard time keeping the little snack thief out of the kitchen before the party.”  
  
“That one's sure going to be a handful when she grows up.” The other guard laughed. It's going to take one hell of a person to keep up with her.”  
  
“Got that right. With all the little royals growing up around here though, I doubt she'll have any trouble. Did you hear the Southern Isles just got a 13th prince?” There was a small clatter as the guard above laughed heartily, his ceremonial armor shifting slightly against the parapet.  
“No way that can be true,” The man scoffed. “What would you even do with all those sons? Now come on, we have to check the back side too.”  
  
“Oh, you're no fun.” Elsa listened carefully as the men's footsteps faded away, accented by the occasional chuckle and incredulous murmurs.  
  
I wonder what it would be like to have that many siblings. Elsa pondered quietly, darting from shadow to shadow along the narrow bridge into the woods. Glad I just have one to worry about.  
  
Glancing back over her shoulder once more, Elsa turned and began the short hike through the woods to the pond. With every step, she felt lighter, freer, and the voices of the children ahead grew louder as well. Before she knew it, she was standing at the edge of the pond with a few of the friends she had made in town. Jack's sister gave her a wave as she arrived pulling their ever comical referee behind her. At the sight of his messy brown hair, the children immediately assembled solemnly at the edge of the pond, leaving only the newcomers and out-of-towners standing off to the side confused.  
  
“My dear hockey enthusiasts,” Jack opened with a mockingly nasal tone. “It has come to my attention that we once again have a rink on which to play this joyous sport. As such, I must, with great enthusiasm, I must declare...” Jack trailed off as the children bristled, hockey sticks clacking against the ice as the small horde readied to invade the ice. Elsa dropped into a crouch, stick forward and ready. She slid one foot forward, just barely tapping the ice. Light spirals of frost circled her foot as she stared intently at Jack, a wide, impish grin creeping across his face as the children's excitement turned to frustration as the moment dragged on.  
  
“The season open!” With a loud cheer, the children rushed the ice, the milling bodies covering up the faint glow coming from the ice rushing by under Elsa's feet as she smoothly glided around the pond. The ice seemed to hug her skates, her small legs pumping as she slid by, as comfortable on the ice as dry land, weaving deftly between the other children. The puck hadn't even hit the ice yet, she just loved the rush of cold air against her skin, the chill hugging her cheeks like an old friend.  
  
“Now, now, players,” Jack called from across the rink, “We have to start new teams now. The Berger twins are joining us for the first time today, and we've got a few here from out of town. Just to be fair, I think we should divide them between us, so let's get them out here and start some teams.” The local kids gathered slowly at one end of the court, bumping into each other and giggling some tackling friends to the ice as they came in too fast. Meanwhile, the kids on the side tentatively slid onto the ice, not completely trusting the ice to support the weight. A few had never skated before and wobbled dangerously out towards center ice, their hands thrown out to either side for balance, but a few had come down from the Sami villages and had almost been born on the ice.  
  
“Alright, team captains team captains...” Jack stalked back and forth in mock seriousness. “Well, we obviously have to have Raina, our most senior member, take one side, and what do you say our reigning Ice Queen, Elenna, here takes the other team?” Elsa spluttered, stumbling slightly at the question, but a loud cheer erupted from the local end of the ice. Adrian, last year's MVP, nodded encouragingly over at her, gloved hands adding a muted thud to the ruckus. Her look of confusion and determination to refuse slowly melted from her face, and Elsa looked back at Jack, her face a mix of nerves and pride as she slid forward slowly to stand by Raina, her stick held loosely at her side.  
  
“Perfect! Now, team captains, choose your teams!” Elsa disliked this part, but now being the captain, she couldn't hide off to the side to try to hide the nerves. Waving her hand, she let her opponent choose first and watched as some of the best skaters jockeyed for the front line, trying to catch her eye as she scanned over the group. After a moment Raina called over one of her old friends who skated over quickly with a grin, and Elsa took a deep breath before calling over Adrian. After all without him, she never would have gotten the chance to play. He skated over, high fiving as he passed, and the choosing truly began from there.  
  
Both captains made sure to choose plenty of newbies, so the teams would be evenly matched, but Elsa somehow managed to end up with more out-of-towners, so while the other team was getting warmed up, she and her locals were trying to get the other kids used to the ice.  
“Alright. Now just avoid that shore, it’s always bumpy, but if you can get any of the other team over there, it’s great. Other than that, the pond is usually pretty nice. Keep an eye out for any big spills or crashes though, it’ll take a while for the ice to smooth out again” Elsa surveyed her team as they nervously took to the ice and started skating laps. Everyone seemed to be taking to the ice fairly well, so she slid towards the edges, feeling the ridges bump against her skates as she slid faster and faster.  
  
Her skin prickled at the wind and a few flakes of wet snow slipped lazily past her as the trees shed some of their healthy coating. The slight burn in her legs and the cool breeze on her skin sent a thrill through her. It was good to be outside again. It was good to feel so at home and free. A slow grin crept across her face as she sped past the other team. This was going to be a great year, she could already tell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bail out now if you're just here for fluff. The next chapter is all aboard the angst train. Also, chapters will start getting longer, more involved, and farther between (yes it's possible)


	4. Cold Snap

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did warn you the next chapter would not be fun. (Sorry it took so long, and happy birthday, Meredith!)

“Elsa. Psst. Elsa!” Elsa sighed sleepily, wondering how long she could pretend to be asleep. The bed shook as her sister climbed up. Not very long apparently. She grumbled internally.

“Wake up. Wake up. Wake up!” Anna’s protests got louder with every bounce, small hands pressing deep into Elsa’s sore shoulders. Elsa’s eyes stayed stubbornly shut, knowing as soon as she opened them, she’d be dragged into whatever harebrained scheme Anna had planned this time.

"Anna, go back to sleep," she finally groused. Pleased with the attention, Anna rolled over dramatically, crushing Elsa slightly as she went.

"I just can't. The sky's awake," Anna flopped harder against Elsa for emphasis "So I'm awake," another thud as she dropped against Elsa's back "So we have to play." The last note dragged out as she gave Elsa a pleading look, but the older girl just huffed a laugh slightly and pushed her gently off the bed.

"Go play by yourself." Elsa grumbled, not completely able to mask the amusement in her voice even as she flipped back to face the wall. Pausing for a moment, Anna thought hard, small eyebrows furrowed deeply before inspiration hit. Popping back up from below, Anna reached over Elsa’s shoulder and opened one of her eyes.

"Do you want to build snowman?" Anna's voice trailed upwards as a grin spilled across Elsa's face despite her best efforts. She opened her eyes, bright blue sparkling with the light from outside, and rolled over to face her eager sister. Anna light up, and she reached up to grab her sister's hand and drag her off the bed. Elsa only managed a single breathless giggle before collapsing on top of Anna. Squirmy as ever, Anna wriggled out from underneath and grabbed Elsa's arm enough, barely even letting her get up before dragging her forward again.

"Come on!" Anna whined, flopping heavily onto the rug in the middle of their shared room and almost pulling Elsa down on top of her again.

"Not in here, Anna, I don't want snow on my books." Anna pouted, finally letting go of Elsa's hand. Elsa straightened up, a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

"But we would have plenty of space in the ballroom" Anna jumped up with a small shout that made Elsa wince and glance nervously at the door before latching onto Elsa’s arm and dragging her out into the hall. Elsa felt her legs straining to keep Anna’s pace as they ran down the hall. Her secret adventures in the woods were certainly not helping her keep up with Anna tonight. Pulling gently at Anna's arm, she brought the younger girl to a stop. Anna glanced back confused, and Elsa brought one finger to her lips, pointing seriously at their parents' door.

"Shhh. We don't want to wake them up." Anna nodded seriously and tiptoed past the heavy wooden door while Elsa stifled a laugh. As soon as they were past, Anna broke into a run again, a quiet whine building in her throat as they hopped quickly down down the stairs.

“Come on, come on, come on, come on.” Elsa shushed her gently before they slid to a stop just in front of the huge entrance to the ballroom. The girls strained together against the doors for just a moment before they gave in with a soft groan. They slipped just inside and Elsa reached back to slide them closed as quietly as possible. Both girls broke into a fit of giggles when Anna grabbed Elsa’s hand and dragged her impatiently out into the middle of the room.

"Do the magic! Do the magic!" She demanded, and Elsa leaned forward, swirling her hands to make a snowball. Glancing at Anna's fascinated face, Elsa grinned at the delight and anticipation she already saw lighting her sister’s bright green eyes, shining even in the gloom of the empty ballroom.

“Ready?” She whispered.

“Yeah!” Anna cheered as Elsa tossed the snowball lightly into the air, watching with pride as the flakes sparkled on their way down and Anna cheered. Suddenly remembering her accident from earlier that week, Elsa yelled over to get Anna’s attention.

“Watch this!” Stomping just like before, Elsa watched as a shimmery coat of ice spread out across the floor. Anna shot her hands out for balance. Giggling as she slid away, Anna’s eyes were blown wide with excitement as Elsa smoothly slid over to catch her just before she lost her balance.

“Indoor skating!” Anna crowed as she pushed off from Elsa again, making it a few more feet before starting to tip again, Elsa laughed and waved a hand, a soft pile of snow appearing right where Anna had tipped forward. With a huff, Anna sat up, shaking the snow out of her hair. She grabbed a handful of snow and tossed it back at Elsa. Ducking quickly, Elsa narrowly avoided the clump, gliding smoothly over to the snow pile.

“Now you said something about a snowman?” Anna nodded gleefully as Elsa waved her hands carefully around them, expanding their small island on the ice. Annd got quickly to work pushing and pulling at the snow until they got a few balls started. If they were slightly misshapen and different sizes, it didn’t matter too much. Elsa set to work shoring up the base while Anna flipped the middle section slowly towards her, giggling as she fell across the top.

“You have the head? I have to go grab a few other supplies.” Elsa wiped her hands on her skirt and slid off towards the door, sneaking out to find a fireplace to grab a few sticks. Even down the hallway she could hear the muffled grunts as Anna pushed the snowman together. A particularly loud thump made her wince for a moment before she carefully opened the door again and slid back.

“Okay almost perfect” Elsa said, waving the sticks at Anna who happily sat down in front of the lumpy snow pile. Jamming them in, Elsa, sat behind him and waved at Anna.

“Hi, I’m Olaf, and I like warm hugs.” She said, grinning at her sister over his shoulder. Anna giggled and threw herself forward.

“I love you, Olaf!” Giving him one of her patented warm hugs, Anna breathed in the cool scent of snow as Elsa got up to push her and Olaf out onto the ice. Anna slipped for just a second before pulling herself up and dancing as they slid along towards one of the pillars.

She snagged it as they went by and spun around quickly to collide with her sister, dragging her down into a heap on the floor. As she fell, her eyes shot straight to the sled hanging on the wall and a glimmer of mischief flashed in her eyes, and Elsa only had a moment before her sister dragged her off into more games, slipping and sliding across the ice to find a sled, building a huge pile of snow and jumping off to land in a soft huff of fresh snow at the bottom. She turned back to see Anna climbing up to the top.

“Alright. Catch me!” Without hesitation, Elsa shot her hands forward, a new peak appearing under Anna’s feet.

“Gotcha!” She grinned. With a laugh, Anna jumped forward.

“Again!” A jump, a new peak. A jump, a new peak. Jump. Catch. Jump. Catch. Jump.

“Wait!” Elsa’s sore legs gave out under her and she fell hard, the magic from her fingertips blasting forward right into

“Anna!” Elsa ran forward. Anna’s head was in her lap. “Anna?” Her hair was white now. Why was it white now. Oh god her hands were shaking. Elsa felt cold.

“Mama! Papa!” Elsa yelled, the words catching on the lump in her throat. She murmured meaningless words into Anna’s hair, pressing close. Frost spiraled under her feet. Faintly she heard the king and queen open the door. What was that crunch? They said something. Elsa didn’t know what.

“It was an accident. I’m sorry Anna.” The words spilled from her mouth without her asking. Her arms suddenly empty, Elsa felt hollowness seep into her core. Her parents said something else and suddenly they were up and running. There was a horse. Running through the woods. Trolls? No of course not, trolls weren’t real. None of this was real. None of this was real.

Elsa stared at the door in front of her. The room seemed so empty without Anna in it. Her bright laughter and energy alone filled her side of the room, and without her everything felt cold and lifeless. Elsa clasped her hands tightly together in front of her, refusing to look down at the hands that had almost killed her sister. She wasn’t safe, Elsa realized. She could still feel the faint burn in her thighs from playing with the village children, and she forced back tears.

“I can’t be around them",” she told herself, the words seeming small and quiet even as they threatened to break her heart in two. “I’m a danger, and they’re a distraction.” Staring resolutely at the wall, Elsa didn’t notice the tiny spirals of frost growing behind her on the floor as she carefully hid herself away in her mind.

“This can never happen again.”


End file.
